CEW Legends of the Low Country 3 -- Savannah on July 25

Photos by Ross Blair From Larry Goodman: Legends 3 was the most ambitious show in CEW history. It delivered everything Coastal Empire could ...

Photos by Ross Blair

From Larry Goodman:

Legends 3 was the most ambitious show in CEW history. It delivered everything Coastal Empire could have hoped for and more. They knocked it out of the park.

The event shattered CEW's attendance record, drawing a psyched crowd of        370 paid to the grounds of Nine Line Apparel HQ. That is double what CEW's regular venue at VFW Post 660 can hold.

CEW collaborated with Nine Line Apparel to put on a show at a scale the company had never attempted before. The setup included a new entrance way, bleacher seating to supplement ringside, food vendors, alcohol sales, merchandise tables...and a special entrance for the CEW champion.

"Flying Fro" Michael Walker won his retirement match by defeating his father David Raines.. It was a highly emotional match for Walker, made even more special by the fact that it was also his father's retirement match.  That father and son were retiring together was not well known.

What unfolded was one of the most moving scenes I've witnessed in all my years of experiencing pro wrestling show.

Bryce Cannon is the new Coastal Chaos Champion and the first triple crown champion in CEW history. 

Redacted, the number one tag team in GWH's power rankings are the new Tag Team Turmoil Champions,and for one night only, held three different tag team championships (they lost the DSW tag titles the next day).

Legends was really well constructed. At three hours in length with no intermission it needed to be. The lighthearted matches were front-loaded. Then came the serious material with Fro's retirement match as the centerpiece. The last two matches got over amazingly well given what they had to follow. Neither went long and Hunter James vs. Krule sent the crowd home with a main event that was entirely different from the rest of the show.

The weather wasn't too shabby for an outdoor summer show in Savannah.  Thunderstorms in the early forecast did not materialize. The gnats stayed away. The humidity made it a sticky night.

(1) Redacted (Jay Alpha Miller & Hakeem Young) defeated Champions Saturday Night Temptations (Karl Hager &  CJ Shine) and Better Together (Hadar Horvitz & Ori Gold) and Exodus (Body Bundy & Jacked Josh) in an elimination match to become the new Tag Team Turmoil Champions in 12 minutes. Redacted made their way to the ring wearing the DSW tag belts and carrying the New Legacy titles. Exodus added themselves to the match impromptu under the pretext that they never got their rematch. Their presence wasn't exactly unexpected since Locke was on the card. 

Hager did a six way, flip flop and fly but Shine dropkicked his partner by mistake and the champions were first to be eliminated. That left three heel teams in the match. The crowd chose to get behind Better Together. Exodus had things going their way when Horvitz pulled Bundy out and Gold pinned Josh. 

Redacted got heat on Gold. Horvitz took the hot tag and was attacked by a masked man behind the ref's back. Redacted hit their finisher on Gold and Redacted are the new champions. 

An action-packed match between four talented teams. The surprise factor of the champions being eliminated first, I really liked. Who was that masked man?

(2) Hair vs. Humiliation: Dax Anthony defeated Michael Stevens in 6:59. Anthony is incredibly beloved by the CEW fans, an astounding turn of events given how much they hated him a year ago.

Stevens had the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. He wanted to know what the humiliaton was. Anthony was not about to tell him. The pace quickened into the finish as they traded near falls. Marv got crotched on the ropes and Dax pinned him clean with the Final Curtain. Dax said Stevens had been acting like a female dog. Hence...

Stevens tried to weasel out of his punishment by poking Anthony in the eyes. Didn't work. Not sure Stevens ate any of the dog food but he was definitely wearing it on top of his head. Poor Marv came close to puking due to the smell. Very entertaining.

(3) Mike Jackson defeated Simon Sermon in 10:46. Sermon invited a select few in the front row to kiss his ring. There were no takers. They did more and took more bumps than you might think. Jackson took a moonlit old school ropes walk.

Sermon tried to outdo Jackson by walking the front row of seats and paid the price with a trip the third row courtesy of Jackson. The ring being set up on crushed stone made the prospect of taking bumps on the outside unappealing. 

Back inside the ring, Sermon took the classic Ric Flair slam off the top. Jackson pulled the straps down. Sermon tried to clock Jackson with his ring and Jackson hooked him with an inside cradle.

Another very entertaining match. Jackson is in phenomenal wrestling shape for 76 years old. The mutual hatred between Simon and the CEW fans was palpable.

(4) Christian Taylor defeated DJ Smoke in 8:38. A little girl was in tears after the ultra-unhinged Taylor tore up her sign for Smoke. She later received a t-shirt and a souvenir from the main event and it was all good. Smoke came through the crowd and lit into Taylor. When he saw what Taylor had done to the girl's sign he  beat Taylor's ass with furious anger, Taylor powerbombed Smoke and fully released his inner psycho. Both down after Smoke's satellite DDT. Crowd chanting his name as Smoke launched an all-out comeback. Smoke's frog splash almost had Taylor pinned. Taylor took Smoke's head off with a lariat and almost himself DQed.  Two Widowmakers later, the match was over.

Win, loses or draw, the CEW fans love DJ Smoke and chanted "thank you, DJ" after the  match.

(5) Bryce Cannon defeated Cornelius Pepperbottom to become the new Coastal Chaos Champion and the first triple crown champion in CEW history (12:40).  A killer promo by Pepperbottom was shown on the video screen to set the stage. Pyro for Cannon's entrance. He jawed with Matt Lyda from Nine Line seated in the front row.   

The air thick with drama. Would Cannon really throw away his friendship with Peps for a title? "Pepper" chant at the bell. Peps said it did not have to be this way and offered to shake hands. Cannon wasn't having it. He stomped on Peps who fired back with a barrage of blows and a rolling neck snap for a one count. Cannon racheted up the pressure but Peps fended off Cannon's signature moves. Peps hit the rocker dropper. Cannon begged off. Crowd was imploring Peps to finish him. Peps hesitated. Cannon hit Twisted Tea. Peps kicked out at the last split second. Cannon shoved referee Clark Benedetto. Clark shoved Cannon on his ass. Cannon grabbed his frat paddle. Clark snatched the paddle out of Cannon's hands. 

Cannon went for a disaster kick but his foot slipped off the ropes. Cannon clutched his knee. A security guy ran to ringside. Peps threw up the X sign. As Cannon was helped to his feet, he suddenly hit the disaster kick and pinned Peps with the Keg Stand. 

 

If Cannon's slip off the ropes looked fake the finish does not work but they executed. This story is far from over.                                                        

(6) I Quit Match: Young Mighty Joe defeated Suge D in 12:07. Suge said Joe recently spoke his first words. His next two words would be "I Quit". YMG tried to pin Suge. Referee Jesse B spoke to Joe in his native language to explain the rules.  The match was essentially an escalating sequence of strangulations attempts. A chain was brought into play. Suge gave Joe a low blow and slugged him with the chain. Jesse B asked Joe if he wanted to quit. "Hell no!" was Joe's answer. Joe executed a drop toehold and applied a bulldog choke using the chain. Suge was forced to say the words. Afterward, Suge blamed the loss on AI.

This was OK. It  dragged a little until they got to the submissions capable of getting the job done. Jesse speaking Junglese to YMJ was hilarious.

(7) Retirement Match: Michael Walker defeated David Raines in 15:25. The match was preceded by an awesome video package that depicted Raines' turn on his son, whipping him with a belt and leaving him laying with two tombstone piledrivers. 

The match was commemorated with T-shirts that read "Flo's Final Flight". The ring was showered with streamers. Raines dominated and it looked like the match would not be a contest until Walker broke out a ferocious babyface flurry. Raines used Fro's momentum to send him into the post. Raines was throwing old school punches, making every one count. He started dropping elbows on Walker. When Fro dodged a fourth elbow drop, the chant for Fro was something else. This crowd was bent on willing him to victory.  

Fro with missiile dropkick and both were down. Fro with  a springboard cross body. Another huge "let's go Fro" chant broke out. Raines cut off the the Froggy bow with a superplex and gave Walker a tombstone piledriver for a 2.9 near fall. Raines' second tombstone was not to be.  Walker hit the Fronado DDT and scaled the ropes with tears in his eyes for one final Froggy Bow.

Fro landed the move and pinned his father. Walker was crying. As soon as the ref counted three, With the fans chanting "thank you Fro", Raines embraced his son on the mat and sald something to him. I wish I knew what. 

Fighting back tears, Walker thanked the fans for making him a superhero. He was nothing and they made him something. He had them to thank for his career. Walker said he loved his dad and it meant the world to have his last match with him. The babyfaces came out to ringside, pounding on the match and chanting "Fro". The heels watched from the aisie. His greatest rival, James was leading the chant and got on the apron to hug him. Walker took his boots off and left them in ring.

A father and son retirement match. Incredibly moving. Unforgettable.  David Raines is a first-rate pro wrestler.who did not get his due because he spent the bulk of his career in South Georgia. He does the little things that make a big difference. He kept his retirement on the down low because this was his son's night to be in the spotlight. 

(8) Audrey Allen defeated Emily Locke (with Body Bundy & Jacked Josh) to retain the DSW Women's Championship in 8:53. It took Allen but one appearance at the VFW to get over with the CEW fans. The woman has one impressive physique. Jesse B caught Exodus cheating and ejected them. In the ensuing chaos, Locke gave Allen a DDT and pressed her advantage with urgency. Allen whipped Locke with her braids unleashed her power game on Locke. Exodus returned to create a distraction. Allen ate a belt shot but got a hand on the ropes. Allen gave Exodus a double choke slam, chokeslammed Locke on top of them and pinned all three at once. 

Good match. Finish was stupid fun. Hated to see the love of my life lose though.

(9) Hunter James defeated Krule to retain the CEW Championship in 9:04.  In In the understatement of the night, Ross Blair said Krule has a presence. Hunter received the superstar entrance pictured at the top of the story. 

Jame escaped Krule's choke slam and the action segued STAT to an intense brawl on the outside, where things got too up close and personal for this writer. Back inside, Krule had the champion in dire straits. Krule choke slammed James. When James kicked out, Krule went off the deep end. He choke slammed Jesse B out of one of his shoes. James rallied and got Krule up for the brainbuster. Clark DeBenedetto sprinted into the ring to make the count. Krule kicked out and choke slammed Clark. Krule whipped Clark and Hunter with Clark's belt. Krule introduced a door, a chair and a trash can lid into the proceedings. Ring was total carnage. Krule's lid shot to Hunter's back sounded like an explosion. Krule went flying through the door. James smashed a section of the door to smithereens on Krule's head. James picked up another section of the door. Krule punched right through it. James got Krule up for a second brainbuster on the chair. 

Destroyed that sucker. Referee Daylon Kingsley ran in to make the three count.

The CEW Champion conquered the monster.  They packed one hell of a lot into nine minutes. Great way to close a great night with an exciting and memorable match. 

NOTES: Many thanks to Ross Blair for the hospitality. Taking in the show with him was great fun. Make sure to read his report from the United Pro show in Kingsland...A sweaty Diana Michel was the ring announcer...Brandon Benefield and Maestro handled the commentary with Joseph Brock on color for the Walker/Raines match...Tetchi Makuji was in the house as was Drew Blood who came to see his former partner Raines' final match. Kevin Kantrell was backstage...Production was headed up by Clayton Franklin and was shot with four cameras. Franklin also does production work for the Savannah Bananas.